This disclosure relates generally to an Ad-Exchange network, and more particularly to a scoring system and method that provides an assessment of traffic quality provided by each Publisher in the Ad-Exchange network.
The Open Pay-per-Click (PPC) Ad-Exchange is a joint offering by Fair Isaac and Think Partnership in the Pay-per-Click advertising market. The Ad-Exchange provides a new vehicle for the distribution of Advertiser's links onto Publishers' sites via an opt-in program that allows Publishers to choose which Advertisers to display on their sites. Fair Isaac provides the statistical, behavioral analytics that underpins the checks and balances into the system by generating a “Click Conversion Score” (CCS) for each Publisher that pro-rates the Advertiser's bill.
Today the major Search Engines are the middlemen for Publishers and Advertisers, placing nearly all PPC Advertising links appearing on Publishers' sites. These links are placed as either part of a “Contextual” program (links placed on the borders of Publishers normal webpage) or in conjunction with a “search” capability offered by the Publisher. The Search Engines and Publishers share in the Advertising revenue generated. For example, Google reports that about 40% of their total annual revenue (subsequently shared with Publishers) is generated by the “Google Network”.
An undercurrent of suspicion has surrounded the traffic generated by these Publisher Networks. Most attention has been focused on Click Fraud: Publisher traffic generated solely for the purpose of bleeding Advertisers' budgets. Yet, a broader problem exists rationalizing the traffic quality Advertisers receive generally in a system that only provides Advertisers control over what advertisement links to place, but not where they are placed.
As an alternative to the Search Engine dominated business model, Publishers and Advertisers can manage for themselves their own PPC Network. The limitation to this model is that each Publisher must develop its own Network of Advertisers and vice-a-versa.
The Open PPC Ad-Exchange overcomes this limitation by providing a central clearinghouse for Advertisers and Publishers to join and become connected. Advertisers continue to manage their budgets at the keyword level. However a crucial ingredient is that what they are charged depends upon the traffic quality each Publisher provides the Ad-Exchange.